Check out the 5 Most Insane Products for Women

When it comes to shopping, being a woman is fantastic. It’s not that we just want to spend money. In fact, we can easily go out and spend less money than our male counterparts. It’s the thrill of the hunt that gets us every time.

Beyond hunting for that perfect deal, companies know that every now and then women just want an excuse to spoil themselves. There are more bath, beauty, and other “girly” products out there than we could ever possibly try — and believe me, we’d love to try an awful lot of them! But every once in a while I stumble across a product designed for women that leaves me scratching my head and thinking “they can’t be serious, can they?”

Here are five of the absolute craziest products for women I’ve ever seen advertised. Have you ever used one of them?

You can finally drop the penis envy thanks to GoGirl — a portable funnel-like product that serves as a makeshift shaft to let you pee standing up. Yes. You heard that right. You are now officially eligible to enter all the pissing contests you please. Watch out boys!

But seriously, why would any company assume this product was a good idea? What kind of freakish focus group told them this would be the next big thing in women’s hygiene products? I have to imagine they were kidding, and the joke went over someone’s head.

For a moment (and just a moment!) I even thought “well, maybe” when I saw it mentioned on Go-Girl.com that the GoGirl could be ideal for women who like to go camping. It almost sounds plausible, no? Then common sense came wandering back from the woods and it said “you must be friggin’ nuts if you think I’m going to clean this thing around other human beings on a camping trip!” After all, that would be more humiliating than squatting to piss in the surrounding brush while everyone gathered around cheering you on.

I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me, but the GoGirl seems like a mess waiting to happen. And really, who wants to be bothered with washing their phallus-like funnel every time they want to take a quick leak? More power to you if you have the time or ambition to be bothered, but it’s just not for me thanks!

Credit: Go-Girl.com

Credit: Go-Girl.com

Credit: Go-Girl.com

2. Mooncup Menstrual Cup

I can’t remember exactly where I first came across menstrual cups like the Mooncup other than remembering that it was in a magazine. Just the thought makes me cringe. I mean really — I have a disgusting wave of “eww” come over me when I think about the Mooncup.

What is it? Basically it’s a substitute for pads and tampons during your menstrual cycle. Rather than using disposable products during your period, you can now shove a little cup-like product up inside of you to collect the blood and tissue. Then you get to remove it and clean it all up. Yay.

Look. I’m all for giving Mother Nature a hand with environmentally-friendly products — just not when it comes to my more “delicate” areas it seems. The beauty of a tampon is that you use it, it does its job discreetly, and then you make it go “poof” when you’re done with it. Who in their right bloody mind (pun intended) wants to be bothered with washing out a disgusting tissue-filled cup when they’re already feeling like crap during their period anyway? Not me. And come on. The cup really does look kind of scary! I envision poking.

Credit: Mooncup.co.uk

3. Tinge Razor

Let’s take a look at one more incredibly strange product for women, designed to be used “down there.” This innocent-looking razor is anything but (okay, it is really a razor, but it doubles as a vibrator). It’s exactly what I’ve always wanted — a way to masturbate with blades! How about you?

When I first came across the Tinge razor / vibrator, I was flat out confused. Could a woman really have come up with this idea? I almost felt like the creator had betrayed her sex… had betrayed me! But then I found out the Tinge was developed by a guy. Ah, that makes more sense.

Don’t get me wrong. I completely admire the fact that a young guy out there truly cared enough about getting women off to try to create a product to help (or was it just because men are too lazy or incompetent to do it, so they’d rather we deal with it ourselves?). But at the same time I almost have to wonder if this product stemmed from a true desire to be helpful or from deep-seated mommy issues meaning there was a subconscious desire to see blades all up in our personal business (and to be serious for a moment, I’m not actually accusing the guy of having ill intentions — I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt).

But look ladies — safety features and all, this just isn’t something to take chances with. First, get yourself a decent vibrator if you want one — one designed solely for that purpose. Second, if you’re that concerned about being discreet, either buy a little purse-sized model (you can get them to look like lip stick containers for goodness sake — it’s not that hard!). Or here’s a thought. Just leave the toys for the privacy of your own home where they can be safely stashed away when not in use, and you’ll never have to worry about what they’re masquerading as. I can’t imagine you’ll have an easier time explaining to the kiddies who walk in on you what you’re doing with an upside-down razor down there than if you were caught using a more traditional vibrator anyway.

Credit: MyTinge.com

4. LATISSE®

What woman wouldn’t love longer, thicker eyelashes? After all, we’ll spend a small fortune on constantly buying mascara or even fake lashes for special occasions. So why not use a new prescription-only product like LATISSE to grow better lashes of our own, no makeup needed?

I first came across the product through a commercial airing on Hulu.com (sidenote: great site if you’re in the U.S. and want to catch up on a show you missed). On the surface it really didn’t sound like that bad of an idea. Brooke Shields was the spokesperson, and she wouldn’t lead us wrong, right?

Then I noticed something. Shields’ eyes looked oddly strained and watery in the ad. They didn’t have a bright, beautiful look to them — what we go for when we use makeup to perk up our lashes. That made me second-guess the product. Why on earth would we want to use something that’s supposed to make our eyes look prettier only to have them look watery and / or bloodshot? Isn’t that counter-intuitive. But I stopped myself. “Maybe she just has allergies or something,” I thought.

Then we got to the part of the ad where they start reading off potential side effects. (And let’s face it, that’s the best part of any prescription product’s advertising!) LATISSE apparently “may cause eyelid skin darkening which may be reversible, and there is potential for increased brown iris pigmentation which is likely to be permanent…. The most common side effects after using LATISSE solution are an itching sensation in the eyes and/or eye redness.” Ah, so maybe it wasn’t allergies after all.

Look. LATISSE is designed to treat a condition called eyelash hypotrichosis — not having enough eyelashes. But that’s not how the ad I saw came across. While, yes, it’s clear that it’s a prescription product and that you’ll need to see a medical provider first, it seemed to be more or less marketed as a beauty product for women in general. That concerns me. It concerns me a lot.

In the end, I’ll stick to mascara. The application procedure isn’t that different anyway, and at least if my mascara screws around with my eyes, I can just switch brands — no high costs, doctor’s appointments, or other hassles necessary.

Credit: Latisse.com

Face Slimming Mask

Leave it to the Japanese to put the emphasis on getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller, no matter what we have to do to get there. This face slimming mask is a somewhat eerie example of what we do as women to try to impress men. (Why do we endure one torture device after another for people who openly scratch themselves in public again anyway? I think I missed a memo somewhere!).

I’m not even sure where to start with this face slimming mask. Okay. Yes I am. How about being able to breathe? Is it just me or does this rubbery sac over your head scream “potential suffocation?” Sure, there are air holes, but it still looks pretty restrictive to me.

Now let’s be realistic. I’d hope no woman honestly believes that strapping on a mask will actually melt fat away. While the products for women above might be equally insane in this gal’s opinion, at least I have little doubt that they can actually do what they claim to be able to do. This face slimming mask on the other hand is nothing but a waste of money (and since I still can’t figure out what company released it or where you can actually buy it anyway, you won’t have to worry about that for now).

I guess it does have one redeeming quality though — Halloween is coming up!

Credit: Geekologie.com

Disclaimer: All images and other material used in this article are believed to be covered by fair use rights under U.S. copyright law, being used for the purpose of identification in the context of reviews or critiques.

Check out the 5 Most Insane Products for Women was last modified: June 15th, 2016 by Jennifer Mattern

Jennifer Mattern is a professional blogger, freelance writer, and former social media and PR consultant. She covers small business, online business, marketing, PR, social media, blogging, freelance writing, and indie publishing for a variety of online publications. She also handles copywriting and PR writing for small and online businesses. Find her on Twitter @jenn_mattern.

77 comments

As someone who uses a Mooncup regularly, I’d like to say that they are fab and not even remotely insane for the following reasons:
– more environmentally friendly
– reduce the length of your period
– reduce period pain
– don’t need changing as much as tampons or pads

There’s no poking if you put it in properly, you can’t feel it and the washing it out isn’t overly grim imho.

Thought it was important that I put over the other side of the arguement 😉

Thanks for your thoughts. I honestly don’t buy that shoving a cup inside of myself would affect basic biology or pain, although if that’s been your experience, I’m quite happy for you. I also tend to take the “environmentally friendly” aspect of products like these with a grain of salt. It doesn’t account for the fact that there are plenty of biodegradable options out there — so that reason alone isn’t enough to use it in my book. I’m sure there are a lot of disgusting and cringe-worthy things we could do solely for the environment’s sake. That doesn’t mean I’d consider them any less insane though. 😉

Dear Jennifer, Thank you for showing us this innovating products (sorry about my English, is not my first language…) I would like to talk about mooncup. I have been using it for 2 years, and is the most amazing and beautiful product that i have ever try in my life, I will never go back to dirty tampons and pads. For me an enough reason to change to the cup was the environment, help to clean the world we are leaving in. But that was the first reason, because after using the cup i realized that the period is not a big deal, is not dirty, it doesn’t smell, and is a natural process of our body, beautiful itself. No more pain, infections, cotton residuals in my body, menstruation as natural as it should be 🙂
Thank you Mooncup!!!

Glad you like it Paula. I do have to say I’m curious about how many more testimonial-like comments we’ll get. The timing and similar focus make me wonder if reviewers aren’t actually representing the company — not accusations, just curiosity. 😉

Seconded! I love my mooncup! No more having to remember to carry tampons around in my bag all the time, just in case your period starts; no more leakages, no more period cramps, no more risk of TSS, no more landfill, no more needing to change a tampon every 4 hours (mooncup only needs to be emptied twice a day, once in the morning and once at night meaning you can wait til you’re home before you do it) …. what’s not to love about that?

– – sorry, just thought I’d add this comment after reading yours Jenn – has it occurred to you that there are literally thousands of women who love their mooncup so much that they’ll tell everyone all about it?! Everybody I know who has one will tell their girlfriends about it (and complete strangers on the internet) every chance they get. I know I do.

It’s not a case of whether or not people like their mooncups. But there’s a legitimate concern to look at and think critically about when the only product people are commenting on so far is the mooncup, that the language and style starts to sound the same, and that the feedback reeks of a sales pitch in more than one case. Blame it on years in the PR industry, but I’ve seen it way too often to assume a sudden influx of glossy reviews is something worth acting on.

I think it speaks for itself that the only vomments are about Mooncups- it really is a wonderful thing, admittedly i did used to work for the company, but only after being an avid user, and i always will be. As i understand it Mooncup posted a link to your article on their facebook page and so i guess so many comments are coming from that….
I hear what you’re saying about biodegradable products, there are good organic tampons and pads out there, and as you say each to there own…but it is a joy to not have to even think about disposing of anything. As in my experience tampons do not go ‘poof’ when you’re done with them!
Smiles
X

I don’t think the company can really do much to promote the Mooncup. For those that are averse to the whole idea, no amount of advertising will be enough. So rest assured that these are comments of women (like me) who got a little curious, tried it and realised that it’s the most incredible thing ever created as insane as it sounded at first. I love mine 🙂

If only to balance out the other comments, I have to say that I completely agree with you, Jennifer. I researched menstrual cups about a year ago because I like to know about all the options out there. The whole idea was off-putting and seemed impractical to me. I just imagined trying to negotiate the whole process in some nasty gas station bathroom that has run out of soap and toilet paper. I think I’ll stick with my (comparatively) beloved tampons for now. Thanks for the entertaining article!

Well, yes…I’m a Mooncup user too, and I must say I also love it. I does make the period a lot easier, cleaner and a lot cheaper. When you get used to it (I did very fast) there’s nothing to complain for. I think us women should start teaching ourselves to be more confident and natural with our bodies.
It isn’t like GoGirl, for example, as it tries to transform our ways into a boy’s…that’s no what we want, is it?
Nice read!

By that same logic I could equally say that Mother Nature never intended for us to bleed into silicone cups (or shove silicone into our bodies at all for that matter), so therefore all women who REALLY care about being “natural” should go back to using leaves. Just sayin’.

I am a moocup user and I whole heartedly love it. Before moocup I used tampons and got achey cramps as the tampons sucked the blood out of my body but now I haven’t had a cramp since the month after I started using it, except when aunt flo visited when I had left my bag at home and had to use a friends tampon, the cramps were almost instant whilst using it and lasted the rest of the visit.
Don’t people who review product usually try them out so that they actually have an idea of what they are talking about…? maybe it would be worth a try, you never know, you might become a convert. I have converted many of my friends, who now all swear by it.
I actually found out about the mooncup via Mumsnet.com, where the mooncup the the sanitary product of choice for the majority. We all love our mooncups xx

C) If a product is so good that customers are true product evangelists, then they don’t need a company’s pathetic PR efforts to direct them to negative feedback to jump on it. Worst PR stunt I’ve seen in a while, but sadly it’s not that uncommon.

I did not say that people are all from the company. But if you take the time to read other responses you’ll find out that company did in fact direct customers.

I’ve also said on numerous occasions that you’re entitled to your opinions and I’m happy you like your mooncups. No one’s said you’re not allowed to disagree. I’m looking foolish for saying people shouldn’t make medical-related claims based on absolutely nothing but anecdotal evidence? Hmmm. Again, happy for you if it happened, but don’t imply it’s going to happen for others without medical evidence to back it up. If that exists, then that’s wonderful. Post it. I’d say that’s a reasonable request.

As for those who are simply leaving legitimate feedback, it’s also important to note that you can’t see everything I can before making comments regarding PR blitzes. For example, while your own comments might be completely fair and unbiased, others ruin it by posting under multiple names to make it look like there’s more support than there really is. That does everyone else a disservice.

The point is that you are saying the mooncup is one of the top 5 most insane products for women, when clearly it is far from being insane. Actually, what you are saying, is that it is one of the 5 products *you* personally would like to ever use.

Maybe if you were a bit more accurate, then commenters on your website would be less irritated.

I’m not a mooncup user – never tried the thing – but I use something you’ll no doubt regard as even worse: washable sanitary pads. Are you shocked, Jennifer? Because I was, when I read your ill-informed and bigoted article. I’m no fan of disposable pads and tampons – I think they’re the devil’s sanitary protection, myself – why would you want to stick something in you that’s full of chemicals (to bleach it white and increase its absorbency) that get absorbed by your body, dry out your most sensitive skin, increase your chances of getting thrush or even TSS, give you skin problems if you are allergic to them as I am and are even linked to cancer? Added to that, disposable tampons leave residue inside you and have to be disposed of in bins that are emptied by badly paid cleaners.

If some women like mooncups, good for them, I say. I know plenty women who love them. They’re not so much my sort of thing, just because I prefer my lovely washable pads with stripes and flowers on. So no PR stunt from me, either.

You clearly find it difficult believing that women with such different views to yours exist. I find it difficult believing that you really exist – someone who’s so bigoted that they write an article that ‘isn’t about testing products. It’s about finding the most ridiculous products being marketed to women’ and then insists that their subjective and untested opinion is the right one, in the face of all evidence to the contrary..
So come on. Convince me that you’re not a construct of the Always PR team?

One more thing – it’s true that there’s only anecdotal evidence, as of yet, that re-useable sanitary wear reduces pain. The problem is, there’s also no evidence that conventional dispoables don’t increase pain. I hope one day a good, well-designed, unbiased study will prove everyone here right – but none has yet been performed.
The reasoning behind it is that the dioxins and other chemicals in conventional pads and tampons are absorbed by the tissue of the vagina – some of the most absorbent tissue in the body – and increase uterine cramping.

A) Because that’s my opinion and I’m as entitled to it as you are to yours.

B) It’s still anecdotal. It’s wonderful if it works for you (feel like I’m repeating myself endlessly b/c people aren’t grasping that I’ve said that how many times now). But some are acting like it’s a medical fact that others should consider and w/o evidence it’s completely irresponsible to post things like that. No one pointed a finger at you personally.

But you’re acting like it’s a medical fact that others should consider that disposible sanitary products don’t increase pain/health problems. Isn’t that a bit irresponsible? You say you ‘don’t buy it’ – isn’t this just an anecdotal opinion? Where’s your evidence? Can you post a link?

The gist of your argument seems to be that you find the product disgusting so a) it can’t be anything other than ridiculous and b) anyone who says otherwise is clearly in the pay of whatever firm makes the things and c) if they aren’t, then the fact that satisfied users are passionatly defending mooncups means that they are actually crap, because if they weren’t, the firm wouldn’t need to bother posting a link to this discussion and people wouldn’t need to bother defending them.

Sorry but personally I find the idea of a wadge of cotton up your fanjo or a sheet of smelly period blood between your legs much more disgusting. When I empty my mooncup there is no smell whatsoever and I never run out when I am out and about.

Having a mooncup is good for the environment (this is because there are no tampons/towels going into landfill. fair enough, you say but there are biodegradable sanitary wear now, this is all fine, but for this to be any better for the environment you have to put it in a composter which people rarely, if ever do) for your pocket (this is because after your initial £17-£20 outlay you don’t have to pay agin for at least 5 years, making your periods cost about 30p a go) and for your helth (by eliminating the risk of TSS)

There is plenty of evidence to show the dangers of tampons…you do know that the leaflet in the box details the risks of toxic shock syndrome, hich can be fatal? And the risk of toxic shock with a monncup is….nil!
Sure anecdotal evidence is not the same as researched fact, but a large amount of anecdotal evidence carries some weight. And since your opinion on it boils down to “ewww, gross” like a 6 year old boy confronted by a girl, there is no need to make out that we are all insane hippies if we happen to like the mooncup. You haven’t tried it, so don’t call it insane, disgusting, scary and painful. In reality it is none of those things.

And no, I have no connection to the company, I don’t knit my own yoghurt, and its not part of a campaign. You just annoyed me, is all.

More words in my mouth — apparently now I’ve told everyone to go out and use tampons, eh? What I’ve actually said (repeatedly, but which people choose to ignore b/c it’s not what they can attack) is that I find the product disgusting, that isn’t going to change, you don’t have to like my opinions, you don’t have to agree with my opinions, and I’m super duper happy for anyone who’s happy with their mooncup or whatever feminine hygiene product they choose to use. (Wondering how many more times I’ll have to say any of that before it sinks in.) If you don’t like tampons, go write your own post about them. I really couldn’t care less. I’m not a tampon product evangelist. Bash them to your heart’s content.

The cup looks disgusting and uncomfortable, as does the pee thing. Do you clean the cup with…your hands? Eww. Also, do people understand how the female body works? Unless you shove that cup has magical powers and you shove it up inside your uterus, it won’t change the mechanics of pain and…output…during your period.

If you are a masochist, I think the razor could work out quite nicely 🙂

I did at least have to give the Tinge creator some credit — admirable that a man cared so much about making women happy while letting them be discreet. lol Maybe there’s a post for another day, eh? Discreet “toys” that can’t accidentally cause more pain than pleasure? I’m sure it’s reasonably safe and all — just as cringe-worthy as the rest.

Yes, yu take the cup out, by the stalk and rise it… you are a big girl now, a bit of blood won’t hurt you! You soon learn to handle it without getting any blood on you. And yes, like I have said, it DOES stop me getting cramps, this is FACT!

Ok, I am going to be honest here. The first time I heard about a mooncup I was a bit grossed out. But after suffering with recurring thrush after aunt flo had visited I decided to give it a go. I was amazed when I found it stopped the thrush, the cramps and I haven’t had a leak since using it.

It is convenient because you don’t have to sneak a tampon or pad in your hand and down your bra before you pop to the loo at work.

I challenge you to try it and then write a review on it after 6 months… You might be pleasently surprised…

I’m happy with my mooncup. It’s great that nobody is making money out of me each month just because I’ve got my period.
I wonder myself at the medical reasons for getting less cramps.
Isn’t it because the suction of the cup pulls the clots straight through quicker and easier?

Er – Joli and Jennifer, the cup has no magic powers and doesn’t claim to have. It does, though, lack the toxic chemicals in disposables that seem to cause the uterus to contract more. Also, some of these chemicals act to make disposables super-absorbent and draw moisture into the pad/tampon, but often draw too much moisture in, causing problems with dryness.

The mooncup isn’t any less discreet than tampons or pads, by the way – you don’t have to show it to everyone before you empty it, it’s not obligatory.

Jennifer – can you tell us why you find it disgusting? You haven’t actually given us a valid reason. Do you have a problem with blood? Aren’t you a bit worried by the fact that you find such a natural process ‘disgusting and cringeworthy’? Do you find other natural processes so distressing? Don’t you worry that you’ve been manipulated by the makers of disposables into thinking a natural event is something gross that has to be made all clean and clinical by using products that are heavily bleached to look sterile? They aren’t actually sterile, btw, just white. So for your ‘most delicate areas’ you’re using a product that’s more likely to irritate them. Even if you do find it disgusting, how does that make it ‘insane’ or ‘ridiculous’? It doesn’t follow. I think that’s what’s annoyed people the most – not so much that you find it disgusting, but that you’re so dismissive of it. Many women who swap do so because of health problems – allergies to the chemicals in disposables, bouts of repeated thrush, conditions such as endometriosis that make periods very painful. If these women find they can alleviate their symptoms by swapping to a mooncup, often when more ‘conventional’ treatments have failed, are you going to tell them that they’re insane, ridiculous or cringeworthy? Which do you think I ought to prioritise – my health and comfort, or your hang-ups?

Finally, you haven’t tried the product. However, women who use the mooncup or washable pads have nearly all swapped over from conventional disposables. So our opinions carry weight, surely, because we’ve tried all the options that are under discussion, and are able to make valid comparisons between them, and make an informed and considered choice. If the mooncup were really that bad, women who try it wouldn’t get so evangelical about it – they’d chuck it in the bin and hot-foot it to the nearest supermarket and stock up again on Always.

If you don’t want to try it, then don’t. Just don’t make rude remarks about people who do.

I heard about the Mooncup from a website I use. I tred it the first time almost a year ago, and have never looked back. I do not work for the company. I had never heard of them before last year. I was curious but sceptical.

It has so many benefits when compared to the alternatives it is untrue.

I left it home the other month by accidet and ended up using some sanitary towels – oh dear, was such a horrid feeling after no longer needing to use them.

You simply cannot knock something properly til you have given it a try.

Fine – of you are disgusted by your own bodily functions, your choice. But some of us are perfectly happy, and it is in my experience no worse than dealing with a tampon or towel.

I empty it morning and evening, it cost £15 & will last me at least 5 years.
I wish i’d known about the mooncup when i was younger, i recommend them to all my friends & collegues.
Try it you may like it…

Tampons don’t go ‘poof’ when you’re done – take a look at the beach next time you’re at one and you might see one place they do end up. Yes, there are washable pads available (but you do seem to have something of an aversion to touching icky!nasty!BLOOD! so that’s probably out for you) but Mooncups, Keepers, etc, are so much easier. Hardly any washing – I boil mine at the start and end of my cycle and wipe out the rest of the time. I can’t feel it when it’s in, and it has never leaked on me, which is more than I can say about tampons. In the 7 years I’ve had mine – well, I haven’t worked it out exactly, but it must have saved me a pile of money.

As for why you’re getting all these comments praising Mooncups… No, I don’t think we’re all from the company! But there are a lot of Mooncup fans out there and we like to evangelise. More mooncup users mean fewer tampons washed up on beaches. Where’s the bad?

I’m a doctor, specialising in female genito-urinary and sexual health. I routinely recommend the Mooncup to my patients. Far from being disgusting I find it reduces the incidences of thrush, bacterial vaginosis and vulvovestibulitis. Now these things really could be called disgusting – just ask any woman unlucky enough to have experienced them. As a poster has noted above, toxic shock syndrome is a concern with tampon use. The Mooncup is made of silicon, an inert substance which does not support the growth of bacteria or fungi, so canot be implicated in TSS.
Tampons draw moisture from the vaginal membranes, effectively ‘drying’ out the vagina, increasing the risk of painful sexual intercourse and infections of all kinds. The Mooncup has no such negative effect.
Please please re-think your view of the Mooncup as ‘disgusting’. You are setting the feminist movement back thirty years by implying that the vagina is such a disgusting place that an object that has once been in there must be made to vanish into thin air.
By the way, I have never worked for Mooncup and I receive no reward, financial or otherwise, for recommending their product to my patients. I do this because I care about womens health, and I feel that the advertising industry, as well as the makers of so-called sanitaryware, have a lot to answer for when it comes to societal misogyny and the casual acceptance that menstruation and female genitalia are disgusting and embarrassing.

Of course, you’re entitled to think a mooncup is ‘disgusting’, I used to. But to call it ‘insane’ is a bit much. I’ve found it to be a real revelation; and I am in the position of being able to compare it to tampons and towels [boak], unlike you who hasn’t actually tried a mooncup!

I have found it makes my periods shorter and less painful. I have no idea why or how this might be, not being science-minded, but I don’t question it! It also saves me loads of money… if that’s an insane product, then I’m happy to be considered insane for using it 🙂

I’m another mooncup user – there was a thread on Mumsnet highlighting this article, but it didn’t in anyway say “go and post your own comment in favour of mooncups”. I’d just like to add my voice in favour of them, and suggest that they are worth giving a go because they really are a that-time-of-the-month changing device!

I use the Diva Cup (easier to find in Canada) and it is brilliant. I personally have found my cramps to have disappeared, and the many inconvenient issues that I had every month are either eliminated or gone completely. I no longer have to worry about overflow, and it hasn’t failed me once in the year and a half i’ve been using it. It was the first product for a woman that make me feel liberated. Suddenly family vacations with your monthly around were easy, work was simple, and sports were a breeze. No worrying if there’s a bathroom or if you brought spare tampons. Doesn’t matter with the cup.
Brilliant.

So, let me get this straight. You have never used a mooncup and you find it insane and disgusting.
Disgusting? Seriously, why not actually road-test the thing and see if you still feel that way. If you really think a blood-soaked stick is better than a blood-filled cup, I can only conclude you haven’t thought about it that much.
Now insane? That I would have to take issue with.
Insane to pay once for a product and potentially never pay for sanitary protection again? Because let me tell you, this thing is tough! I can’t actually see how it would ever need to be replaced.
Insane to think about the environment? Again, a re-usable product which won’t go to landfill for years as opposed to the potential bags and bags of tampons or pads I could be using
Insane to have the convenience of not having to think about running out for products if my period comes early. The mooncup is either inside me or in its pouch in my handbag.
Insane? Nah, you just haven’t thought about it!
I don’t work for the company, nor am I ever likely to but I do think it’s unfair to diss a product without ever having used it.
As you can see, the vasr mahority of us who HAVE used it will not be changing back!

I used to shudder at the idea of it – filled me with horror!!
I dunno what it was about it but thw whole idea of collecting my bodily fluids rather than conveniently flushing them away – plus the whole fiddling with yourself down there while ‘on’ idea just felt disgusting…

Rationally now I think about it I can’t see why it’s more disgusting or less clean than tampons (especially the non applicator ones) really – but I think I’m older and wiser and less squeamish in general than I used to be…

Heck when I was a teenager the idea of tampons – even just buying the things freaked me out!!

im a mooncup user and a gogirl user. brill on both accounts. the gogirl means no more gross festival loos to que for just to hoover over as they are so gross. also the army uses similar this for its female soliders to relieve themselves while on a misson. and I dont see the moon cup as beeing any different to tampoons. i mean remove flush the contains rinse or pull the blood sodden tube of fluff or even better sit in a wet sweaty pad. might as well use a nappy….saying that my daughters cloth nappy are comfty looking! Ever heared of the saying don’t knock it till you’ve tried it?

I love my mooncup too (and don’t worry, I’m not affiliated with the company) as well as my washable sanitary pads in every colour of the rainbow of soft, squishy fabrics 😀 Never again shall I buy sweaty, sticky, paper and plastic disposable pads.

I also have a product similar to the GoGirl (called a ShePee here) and while I wouldn’t rate it as highly as the mooncup, it has had its uses when “squatting against a tree” hasn’t been an option 😉

I do hope you try a Mooncup sometime though, there’s nothing about our bodies that we should be ashamed about or grossed out by, and most women really are converted once they’ve given it a shot!

I’d be fascinated to know if anyone that has USED a mooncup thinks thay are terrible and has gone back to the stale blood smell of sanitary products? 🙂 can you tell I adore mine too. Maybe people should remeber the old adage, don’t knock it til you’ve tried it.

I also think peeing standing up would be a great idea especially for festivals and may get a she-pee in the future.

I also love my keeper (The same as a mooncup only made of rubber) It is so awesome to never have to run to the store because I’ve ran out tampons. I never have to have a supply of products filling up my purse. I don’t even have to bring my purse to the bathroom with me in public. I don’t have to fork over cash every month. I am able to monitor my flow and feel so much closer to my body. I also love that I am not filling up landfills with more unnecessary waste. I would never go back to tampons and pads. I feel this is one of the most liberating products available today- I plan on giving one to each of my nieces as they come of age.

Product 1:
As a GUY who has used co-ed bathrooms i would rather a girl use one of these moonpies (for one YOU WONT FORGET IT ONTOP OF THE TOILET which is always a pleasant sight)
Product 2:
Sorry ladies when i’m drunk i pee on tiolet seats, not my fault my motor functions are impared and during festivals or camping im not going to clean it up so this would be an awesome investment if you attend events with public peeing
Products 3,4&5:
kind of scarry especially 5 if i had a GF who wore this to bed i would probably accidentally kill her by because i am really afraid of hannibal lecter.
cheers

Oh, my gosh. So the author doesn’t like mooncups. Big friggen deal. Why are you all spazzing out about it?

I’m glad y’all like your mooncups and want to marry them, but it’s just ONE article. Why do you care so much? The mooncup IS insane. All inventions to plug up your cooter during menstruation are insane. However, it can still work while being insane. I’m sure that vibrator will get some women off, so it does its job, but it’s still insane.

The author is allowed to not like them, and all of you people maniacally defending it just look way over the top. I’m stoked they work for you, but that doesn’t mean they’ll work for everyone. And I fail to see how a cup will magically make your period shorter and lighter. I am considering using a mooncup, but all the rabid hippies on here are totally putting me off. Maybe using one turns you into an unreasonable harpy who can’t take a differing opinion.

Redsheep, she never made rude remarks about people who choose to use a mooncup. It’s just not her type of thing. I don’t get why you all feel the need to turn one little opinion article into a massive spasm.

Louisa, take a chill pill honey – the author has never tried a Mooncup and she’s bagging it out which is potentially off-putting for someone who hasn’t tried it but is curious. It’s important that people leave positive feedback about the Mooncup so they aren’t frightened off by the opinions of someone who hasn’t even given the Mooncup a chance. My menses are so heavy that I can’t use tampons so the Mooncup sounds ideal, I’m going to try it!

To the author, what’s so wrong with your menstrual fluids that you couldn’t use a Mooncup? I’m sure you get messy fingers if you use tampons anyway. It’s time women became more comfortable with their bodies instead of freaking out or feeling embarrassed.

I’m, yes, another Mooncup user (sigh). Started using it a couple of months ago and am impressed so far. Beyond the health benefits associated with it, I just wanted to comment on the environmental issues it raises.

Your comment that tampons ‘go “poof” when you’re done with it’ is not that well considered…

Yes, the cups require a certain amount of resources and energy (and there’s not a limitless supply of silicon in the world), but just think about the resources that go into producing, transporting and disposing of the tampons and pads that are used every month.

Then there’s the chemicals used in that processing and disposal that leach into the environment too, not to mention the waste pollution the tampons and pads contribute to.

The environmental challenges that the world faces are very real and need tackling. I’m not daft enough to pretend or suggest that a Mooncup will solve this, but we all have to make changes – even little ones.

Glad to see your post has generated so many comments (what every blogger wants!). Bar the GoGirl (which I’ve never used but can maybe see the appeal of using rather than get your bum out in the freezing cold whilst hiking) and the Mooncup, the other items all indulge vanity to some extent and, while maybe not insane, do seem pretty pointless.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the Moon Cup or the Go-Girl. I’ve never used the Moon Cup but I am seriously considering getting one. I have used my Go-Girl and it’s very convenient when traveling in developing countries where restrooms leave a lot to be desired… I’ve also heard they come in handy for people with knee injuries who can’t sit and stand very easily. Everyone is entitled to their opinions but I don’t think that the author thoroughly considered all of the possible uses for this product. Finally, pee is really not all that dirty… you can just dab the go-girl dry and re-pack it in its handy tube. It can be sterilized in boiling water if you wish, or you can hand wash with soap and water once you get home.

Most inventions start out as “ridiculous” looking. Men flying…how silly, someone talking though a wire ….can that be any sillier and how about watching some pictures over a box ….hmmmmmm…all silly ideas that work and are terrific.
Bandaids…would they not “cause” infection! How wrong we were.
Bags that expand onto our bodies to protect us in our motor vehicles….good grief! Watches we could talk into (Dick Tracy style)….another stupid invention.
Flying to the moon!!!!!!!!!!!
Come on give the inventions time to morph into the useful products they may become. We never know how the silly sounding moon cup may be the best ever! And the lash “grower” may find it’s way around it’s problems.

This woman is a prime example of the utter moronicness of modern day amerikans… She’ll be amongst the first to go when the shit truly hits the fan, but at least she’ll be freed from her apparent horror at being born the proprietress of one of the finest creations of eons of evolution – the female human reproductive/waste disposal/pleasure system, colloquially known as the pussy, and surrounding/supporting organs.

But the larger point – as evidenced by the moon cup furor – is that us amerikans, born in this particularly charmed time and place – are poised at the precipice of the apocalypse, at least in terms of our spoiled, massively wealthy, ‘entitled to anything and everything, consequences (for the earth and our fellow human creatures that we share this fine but fragile little sphere with) be damned’ attitudes. The fact is that we’re so rich and so stupid that we become more helpless with each succeeding generation. This can only end in one place: mass poverty, starvation, and death. As mentioned above, the ‘I hate the moon cups’ of the (western) world will be amongst the first to go. I for one, as a truly resourceful and creative human, able, despite my (relatively) massive wealth in relation to the majority of this little planet’s sentient inhabitants, sort of can’t wait…

Hi! Recently linked here from huffpost article. Just wanted to chime in that I, too, LOVE my menstrual cup. I only say LOVE because it can really change your life to get over the phobia of your vagina that society loves to indoctrinate us with. Sounds like the author may have a bit of this, and I wanted to encourage any other ladies out there to give it a try before swearing off a product like this. The only one I’ve tried is The Keeper, and I never looked back. Liberating not to be dependent on disposables.

Here in Japan, an actual compliment is “You have a small face”. I remember when someone first said that to me I was wondering what in the world they were talking about, but when I kept hearing it I asked about it and learned it was a compliment. Having a big face in Japan is not necessarily considered a good thing a people often comment on it.

meow meow meow i like mooncups
i use she pee because it makes me feel manly. gets the masculine side out of me.
i use the face slimming mask all the time… what chu talkin bout? its quite comfortable and all my disgusting flabby fat on my face has melted away.
why you dissin dese products mayne?
they are quite awesome and not insane at all.
and i like vibrators that also shave my pussy. saves money! why not?
okay i have to admit latisse is a little insane though. theres barely a difference in twelve weeks! i just pile on da mascura. nbd.

“Who in their right bloody mind (pun intended) wants to be bothered with washing out a disgusting tissue-filled cup when they’re already feeling like crap during their period anyway? Not me.”

One of the great things about mooncup is that most of the time you don’t even remember that you’re having your period. Emptying and rinsing the cup twice a day is not such a trouble, and for the rest of the time you can forget the whole issue; do sports, go swimming etc. without worrying for leaks or smell.

For me it sounds much more scary than any mooncups that someone is so unfamiliar or uncomfortable with her own body, that being in any contact with the fluids coming out of it feels impossible.

Again, I love my menstrual cup, the Lunette, and I just don’t understand why the author of this article is so against cups if she never tried it hereself.
P.S. It is simply a shame because you are too quick to judge. I am sorry for you that you are so deeply influenced by cultural taboos that tell us that dealing with our periods is a dirty thing and should be soo “discreete”.

Until I kissed my childbearing years goodbye, I used the Keeper (made of brown rubber) menstrual cup. Actually, I came to it rather late, b/c I was one of those women who bled profusely in the couple of years approaching real menopause. Tampons couldn’t be super enough to protect me, and even the biggest pads weren’t 100% “spillproof.” The cup worked great. I wish I’d started using it decades earlier.

As has been pointed out in other posts, tampons don’t go “poof” when you’re done using them. Out of sight is *not* out of mind! They go into landfills or waste treatment plants. Their manufacture, like that of pads, too, adds to water and air pollution. The wash-your-own pads are nice, and I used those for a while, but really, they’re way messier to deal with and also have a negative impact on the environment because they have to be laundered, which for most American women means running a washing machine through a disinfecting hot cycle, perhaps with Clorox or some other chemical to help get the bloodstains out. Long story short, ladies and germs, not all things that sound stupid are. Sarah Palin falls into that category, but menstrual cups don’t.

I also love stand-up pee cups. I learned of them too late to enjoy them at festivals, but when I became incapacitated with sciatica two years ago and found it horribly painful and difficult to sit down on my toilet at home, I got one and used it for the 3 months or so it took me to recover. I imagine it’s a standard item in nursing homes and other places where women who aren’t actually bed-ridden have the same kind of trouble. If not, it should be. I often take mine with me when I’m on the road, b/c you never know what conditions you’ll discover in public rest rooms. I prefer to have an alternative to sitting on other people’s ****.

The funny thing about mascara is that it does and will cause brown pigmentation (little spots or flecks) on the white of your eyes! If i got brown pigmentation on the brown part of my eye, i’d not mind as much as it being in the white of my eye. :/ But whatever. I still use mascara faithfully.

You know what’s funny, is that I live in a state that’s very environmentally-minded. And guess what? We all use tampons/pads! Even the hippies and feminists!

Oh, and I’m comfortable with my body. Things like that don’t like to stay put in me. Give me a tampon over fidgeting and worrying if the damn thing is going to make an inconvenient mess. And some stupid little cup up my vag isn’t going to relieve my menstrual pain–hormonal imbalances and possible cysts over-ride stupid subliminal BS. You obsessive freaks can keep your cooch-cups, and I’ll keep my tampons, pantyliners, painkillers, and muscle relaxers.

While the mooncup doesn’t do anything for me in the way of less pain (not that I was expecting that), it’s neither freaky nor inconvenient. You get the hang of it quickly, and once you do it’s not fidgety or messy at all. Just wear pads until you’re certain you’ve figured it out if you’re worried about a mess.

My main reason for switching to the cup was cheapness, actually. I already have to shell out for painkillers, now I save on tampons. And I don’t have to worry about forgetting them at home. I find the cup more convenient, not less.

And as someone who likes to get off before going to sleep: I like the fact that the cup doesn’t dry the vagina up like tampons do.

WOW, looks like the company that creates moon cups really cares about what women think about their weird and gross product. Especially if women hate it and decide to write an article about it. This company will come and bombard the author. GOO MOONCUPS. they are still nasty and gross, most desease are blood born. The faster its absorbed the better. If you let it sit, it could cause issues.. just saying

The Go Girl is actually quite productive. It’s great if you are a girl who goes 4 wheeling or snowmobiling. I forone can tell you what a pain it is to take your snowmobile suit, jeans all the way down just to squat… A go girl definitly is helpful in the winter. Also, who wants to take their snowmobile suit off when you have about 30 other sledders and you are on the side of a highway. Really sucks. So… Go girl does work great.